How to Find Festivals and Special Events in Denver

If you think of Denver as just a stop-off on your way to a major ski resort, you're missing out on some really fabulous events offered within the city and in nearby Boulder. In addition to the events listed, look for various ethnic and holiday festivals throughout the year.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Maps
• Local Newspapers
• Plane Tickets To Colorado
• Maps

Spring/Summer

1. Take in the Denver Blues and Bones Festival on Memorial Day weekend. This unique mix of top-notch blues and fresh barbecue draws a huge crowd, and if you think you're a champion barbecuer, enter the BBQ competition (everyone else can sample).
2. Participate in the annual Capitol Hill People's Fair in early June. Held in Civic Center Park, the fair is a huge neighborhood event featuring live entertainment on five stages, food and hundreds of artisans selling their wares. This is a great event for the whole family.
3. Bring the family to the Buskerfest, held in late June in downtown Denver. Street performers are the stars here, and you can wander around and see mimes, clowns, sword-swallowers, acrobats, puppeteers and all sorts of other entertainers. Best of all, it's free.
4. Don't miss the LoDo Music Festival in early July. At this Denver favorite, you'll hear a variety of live music on four stages, eat great food and mingle with big crowds.
5. Visit the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, held in early July. It's one of the country's most respected outdoor juried art shows, and the art is accompanied by live bands, great food and an ArtZone where you can make your own pottery and other artistic creations.
6. Attend Colorado Music Festival events in Boulder's Chautauqua Park. The festival lasts from early July to early August and includes a free Independence Day performance of patriotic music. This festival has been a local favorite for more than 20 years.

Fall/Winter

7. Live it up at the Festival of Mountain and Plain: A Taste of Colorado, held on Labor Day weekend. The city's best restaurants offer food, and there are carnival rides, live entertainment and artisans selling their wares.
8. Taste some of the country's best beers - more than 1,500 of them - at the Great American Beer Festival, held in early October. Lagers, pilsners and even chocolate stouts compete for prizes, and you get to sample them all.
9. Attend the Denver International Film Festival, held in mid-October. More than 100 films are screened, including independent films, documentaries, animation and children's programs. There are movie stars galore in attendance, so stargazing is encouraged.
10. Don't miss the city's annual Parade of Lights, marking the beginning of the holiday season in early December. The big parade through downtown features floats, giant balloons and bands playing holiday favorites.
11. Ride on in to the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in January. Rodeo fans will love the more than 20 rodeo performances. Other events include a parade, concerts and plenty of shopping opportunities for things Western.
12. Stop in at the Jazz on Film Festival, held on Presidents' Day Weekend in February. You'll see films from around the world about jazz and jazz artists at this festival, which is getting international attention, and there are panels and programs for students.
13. Learn about Native American culture at the Denver Pow Wow, one of the country's largest such gatherings. Dancers and musicians from more than 70 tribes participate, and the food is to die for.

Tips & Warnings

• Tickets may sell out fast to the most popular events, so reserve ahead if possible.

Who Can Help: